Jane Austen lived a short, quiet life, but she became one of the most powerful voices in English literature. She did not write about wars, kings, empires, or grand adventures….
History
23 Articles
Here are 25 interesting facts about William Shakespeare, the legendary playwright and poet: Birth William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564, likely on April 23, though his exact…
The Great Hunger: A Harvest of Shadows The year 1845 began with the promise of a bountiful harvest. Across the emerald patchwork of the Irish countryside, the potato plants were…
The Girl Born for Glory Mary Tudor entered the world in 1516 as a princess of enormous importance. She was the daughter of King Henry VIII of England and his…
Few kings in history have become as famous for their marriages as Henry VIII of England. When most people hear his name, they do not first think of government, war,…
History is often told as the story of empires expanding, flags changing, and entire peoples waking up under foreign rule. From the 15th to the 20th century, the age of…
Benjamin Franklin is usually remembered as a statesman, inventor, diplomat, and moral voice of early America, but one private letter reveals a far more playful and provocative side of him….
A tyrant almost never says, “This is my fault.” He does something far more clever by letting anger rise and then throwing someone beneath him into the fire. That is…
Attila the Hun: The Man Who Made Rome Pay Few conquerors left behind as much fear as Attila the Hun. He did not build great cities or lasting institutions. He…
The Man Who Measured the Stars — But Lost to Human Madness Isaac Newton did not enter the world like a legend. He arrived small, fragile, and so premature that…